Reading Scholars Fellowship Program Overview for College Students, Parents and School Officials
SPONSORS: Brandon Carr/Carr Cares Foundation, Early Matters Dallas, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
PURPOSE: The Reading Scholars Fellowship Program will seek to engage college and university students in civic participation, character and leadership skills development in while training them to serve as literacy tutors in select Dallas County schools.
PARTICIPANTS: Participants must be enrolled full-time at any other fully accredited 2- year or 4-year college or university in Dallas County.
SELECTION PROCESS: Students must pass background checks prior to beginning tutoring sessions. Applications will include 2 short essays, 2 references, and an interview. An independent review committee will review applications and select the Reading Scholars Fellows Class of 2017.
EXPECTATIONS: Reading Scholars Fellows will be required to:
- Attend 1 tutoring orientation session
- Commit to 8-10 hours per week that both the college/university and partner elementary are open and in session (dependent on student and partner schedules, exam schedules for each college/university will be taken into account)
- Participate in a focus group to inform strategy for future scholarships
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Be respectful representatives of their school and community
PARTNER TUTORING ORGANIZATIONS AND TUTORING SITES:
- Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute – Carpenter Elementary, Concord Church After School, City of Duncanville Field House After School, Dunbar Elementary
- Carr Cares Reading Buddy Program – Mark Twain Elementary
- Readers2Leaders – Booktown After School, Uplift Heights
- Reading Partners – JN Ervin Elementary, KIPP Destiny Elementary
FUNDING: There will be no cost to students. The scholarship award in the amount of $1500 will be distributed to recipients following application review in one disbursement (Spring 2017). The Carr Cares Foundation will distribute scholarship funds directly to each Fellow’s selected university.
TIMELINE for 2016-17:
- November 1-December 5, 2016: Application window open.
- December 5, 2016: Applications due.
- mid-December 2016-early January 2017: Application review and interviews
- January 23, 2017: Fellows begin tutoring
- April 2017 – Scholarship award disbursement dates
- April 2017 – Fellows Recognition event